Sigma-invariants and tropical varieties

Abstract

The Bieri-Neumann-Strebel-Renz invariants $\Sigma^q(X,\mathbb{Z})\subset H^1(X,\mathbb{R})$ of a connected, finite-type CW-complex $X$ are the vanishing loci for Novikov-Sikorav homology in degrees up to $q$, while the characteristic varieties $\mathcal{V}^q(X) \subset H^1(X,\mathbb{C}^{\times})$ are the nonvanishing loci for homology with coefficients in rank 1 local systems in degree $q$. We show that each BNSR invariant $\Sigma^q(X,\mathbb{Z})$ is contained in the complement of the tropical variety associated to the algebraic variety $\mathcal{V}^{\le q}(X)$, and provide applications to several classes of groups and spaces.